00:00Keir Starmer, as I say, insisting that he doesn't need to choose between Trump and Xi, I wonder...
00:05Do the businesses that you represent want Keir Starmer to lead more to China than the US?
00:10I think any... Thanks very much for having me.
00:15Thanks for having me on the show. I think any positive steps by...
00:20the UK government to continue this momentum towards building a stronger relationship with China.
00:25are welcomed by the British business community in China. We did a survey...
00:30we have an annual sentiment survey which was published last month, more than 300 British companies...
00:35responded to that survey, all of them operating in China. And they're more optimistic than they have been...
00:40over the last six years. So it's certainly an expression of confidence.
00:45from the British business community in what the UK government's doing and we're seeing...
00:50momentum, we're seeing a coherent China strategy which, to be honest, the previous UK...
00:55administration did not have. So on the one hand, they're very confident about it, but also...
01:00having senior government engagement means that some of the challenges facing...
01:05British businesses operating in China, some of the market access issues that are...
01:10members face, can be addressed when senior government leaders meet face to face.
01:15I think, regardless of all the geopolitical uncertainty that's taking place...
01:20it's really positive news that Prime Minister Starmer is visiting this week.
01:25OK, so would you just expand on that for us, Chris? What would success...
01:28actually look like for Starmer on this trip?
01:30I think there are a number of objectives...
01:35objectives that the Prime Minister would have from a...
01:38from a... from a... from a Chamber point of view, we...
01:40would welcome progress in areas where there are some long-standing challenges facing...
01:45British businesses on the ground, typically in the more heavily regulated sectors...
01:49sectors which...
01:50are regulated in other markets as well, but sometimes in China it's...
01:54particularly complex.
01:55so...
01:56healthcare is a strong sector for UK companies and we're seeing progress...
02:00there already, but in services which are obviously crucial to the UK economy...
02:04and where...
02:05UK companies are...
02:06are world leaders in many, many areas around legal...
02:10financial services, financial services, wider business advice...
02:15and we're hoping for greater access as well...
02:18and I... and I think that's something that...
02:20that...
02:21the Prime Minister will push...
02:22not least because...
02:23although it...
02:24um...
02:25...
02:25on the one hand it kind of pushes UK investment into China...
02:28and helps companies succeed here...
02:30but UK services companies are beginning to support Chinese companies going globally...
02:35including...
02:36to the UK...
02:37so...
02:38I think that the UK government will be looking to...
02:40try to get a win in terms of Chinese investment into the UK...
02:43as well as supporting UK...
02:45investment into China...
02:46and how should the Prime Minister balance the security...
02:50concerns around China...
02:51as we heard around the Chinese embassy in London...
02:54against...
02:55these opportunities for economic engagement...
02:57or are those security concerns...
02:58overblown perhaps?
03:00so...
03:03in the sentiments...
03:05in the survey...
03:06and with conversations...
03:07in conversations with our members...
03:08we don't typically talk about...
03:09national...
03:10national security...
03:11back in the UK...
03:12I mean there are...
03:13various considerations in country...
03:15in Beijing...
03:16across the country...
03:17around cyber security...
03:18personal information...
03:19and...
03:20China's legislation there...
03:22is broadly...
03:23in line with...
03:24with other countries...
03:25countries...
03:26but I think...
03:27you know...
03:28from a personal perspective...
03:29I think what the Prime Minister has...
03:30has...
03:30expressed...
03:31is that...
03:32he's...
03:33maintaining a dual focus...
03:34on security...
03:35and...
03:35engagement...
03:36and so...
03:37while...
03:38pushing forward with...
03:39stronger economic...
03:40development...
03:41and stronger trading...
03:42relationships...
03:43he's also very mindful...
03:44that there are...
03:45high...
03:45risk sectors...
03:46where...
03:47China and other countries...
03:48will not be invited to...
03:49to...
03:50participate...
03:51in the UK...
03:52so...
03:53in...
03:54in your previous piece...
03:55you were talking...
03:55about the balancing act...
03:56that I think...
03:57many countries...
03:58have to...
03:59have to make...
04:00you know...
04:00we're in a world of...
04:01increasing geopolitical...
04:02uncertainty...
04:03and so...
04:04I think it's important...
04:05for the UK...
04:06like Europe...
04:07like...
04:08the Canadian Prime Minister...
04:09who was...
04:10here...
04:11just recently...
04:12we had...
04:13the French President...
04:14Emmanuel Macron...
04:15last...
04:15year...
04:16getting lots of...
04:17face time...
04:18with...
04:19Chinese leadership...
04:20I think...
04:21the German Chancellor...
04:22Friedrich Merz...
04:23US President...
04:24Donald Trump...
04:25himself...
04:26is...
04:27coming to...
04:28coming to China...
04:29in April...
04:30so...
04:31all of these...
04:32the US...
04:33of the UK...
04:34to...
04:35to not engage...
04:36at least...
04:37at an economic...
04:37trade...
04:38level...
04:39with China...
04:40well...
04:41on that...
04:42triangulation...
04:43Chris...
04:44I do wonder...
04:45how the...
04:46British companies...
04:47doing business...
04:48in China...
04:49is there a sense...
04:50that they can just...
04:51look through...
04:51President Trump's...
04:52latest...
04:53tariff...
04:54threats...
04:55because...
04:56at some stage...
04:56they think...
04:57they'll be...
04:58walked back...
05:01certainly...
05:02last year...
05:03was...
05:04I think...
05:05defined...
05:06by...
05:07US...
05:08China...
05:09uncertainty...
05:10it was a bit of a...
05:11a rollercoaster...
05:11year...
05:12and it's strange...
05:13to be...
05:14sitting here...
05:15at the beginning...
05:16of 2026...
05:16feeling...
05:17that the...
05:18US-China...
05:19relationship...
05:20is probably...
05:21putting it...
05:22too...
05:23too strongly...
05:24to say...
05:25it's a beacon...
05:26of stability...
05:27but there is...
05:26a certain degree of...
05:27predictability...
05:28there...
05:29we know that the...
05:30presidents of these countries...
05:31will probably meet...
05:32three or four times...
05:33with Trump...
05:34coming to Beijing...
05:35President Xi...
05:36making a return visit...
05:37to...
05:38to...
05:39to Washington...
05:40and then...
05:41we have the APEC forum...
05:42in Shenzhen...
05:43and then the G20...
05:44which...
05:45Trump will host...
05:46in Miami...
05:47I think...
05:46in the middle of December...
05:47so...
05:48these are two world leaders...
05:49who will meet...
05:50four times...
05:51one would...
05:51hope...
05:52that the...
05:53personal rapport...
05:54will grow...
05:55and so...
05:56that does...
05:57help to shape...
05:58the mood...
05:59for UK...
06:00and other multinational business...
06:01clients...
06:02in China...
06:03because...
06:04UK companies...
06:05are members...
06:06other multinational clients...
06:06of the company...
06:07I work for...
06:08APCO...
06:09as well...
06:10not necessarily...
06:11US companies...
06:12they've all been affected...
06:11by...
06:12US-China tensions...
06:13so...
06:14we're hopeful...
06:15that there will be a deal...
06:16this year...
06:16between the US and China...
06:17whether it's going to last...
06:18given that we are now...
06:19in an era of...
06:20strategic competition...
06:21remains to be seen...
06:22but this year...
06:23and hopefully...
06:24next year...
06:25is looking a little more stable...
06:26well Chris...
06:27it's great to get the voice...
06:28from business...
06:29the view from business...
06:30Chris Torrens there...
06:31the chairman...
06:32of the British Chamber of Commerce...
06:33in China...
06:34thank you so much...
06:35for your time...
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